Wow..it has been a really long time since I blogged!
A lot has happened that I will get to, hopefully, soon. In the meantime…a note.….
Tomorrow my step son is deployed to Afghanistan. He has a few months stateside and then he goes overseas. We will not see him for a year or more. I try to imagine what it must be like to prepare for this moment, and my stomach gets upset, and I am on the verge of tears, and I am scared. And that is just me getting to stay stateside. How do you possibly prepare? I pray they have, and will be trained for everything imaginable and know the rest is out of their hands. Hopefully he goes leaving everything here taken care of so he has no concerns but to concentrate on himself, and his job, and to get home safely.
How very brave they are!! They joined the military knowing just such a moment could happen and now they go. Putting on a brave face for all the world to see when inside they must be scared silly.
I am sad because I know he will come back changed. Hopefully for the better, but definitely changed. How can you not? He will face things, and see things, we will never in our life time see, because people like him risk everything so we never have to.
I trust that our government knows what they are doing. I trust that they are doing everything in their power to keep our men and women safe, because being over there, and fighting this war, is necessary. I trust that they know we are turning over our greatest treasure into their keeping.
I know how I am feeling. Cannot begin to imagine how his dad and mom are feeling. Hearing news about Afghanistan will be filled with worry. A doorbell ringing will cause a heart to stop. Something thousands of people face every day, even as I write this.
Support our troops. Please. Even if you don’t believe in the war, or why we are there, support them. Believe in them and what they know they have to do. Because to be over there, putting their lives on the line every minute and every day, cannot be in vain. Let me not hear one criticism of this war, or monies spent to protect them, or doubt about why we are there, or should we be there, or whatever you feel. Keep it to yourself. Let the President and the generals, with their knowledge and information, do their jobs so all of them can come home. Keep it to yourself or I might just turn around and give you a tongue lashing like you have never heard. Send someone you love dearly to be in harms way every minute for the next year, and maybe you will understand.
I am so very proud of my step-son. He will be in my thoughts every minute of every day til he comes home. He is taking the love of many, many people with him.
I won’t say good-bye. I will say “So long kiddo. See you in a year. Be safe. God-speed. Love you.” And with a throat so tight with tears I cannot breathe, watch him say goodbye to his mom and dad.
Please God…oh please…keep him safe.